Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-12-27

recognized and removed in Massachusetts,.
There the mortgagor and mortgage are
treated as joint owners. But one tax Is
levied on the land and ratably diviSed be-
tween them. At the last session of the
General Assembly this principle was made
to apply to the loan companies in cities,
leaving the rural districts under the unjust
and ruiIOus system of double taxation.
As the General Assembly is so nearly con-
trolled by representatives of those interests
which so largely evade their tax, il is not
surprising that, though our large public
debt has been paid for several years, the
percentage of the State tax has increased
within eight years from q no SO cents on
500.
at is not alone
THE TAXES
which 90 into the Treasury on iron, wool
Ell, salt, sugar or other articles which
measure the exactions on consumers. A
few tens of thousands of dollars only are
collected on lumber by the tariff, but the
extra price the lumber interest is enabled
10 charge counts up into the millions. 1t
is low estimate to say that for every dol
lar which reaches the public treasury at
least So are paid to the manufacturers.
| The protective system first came into note
after the war of 1912, when manufacturers
with small capital and little skill had
been forced into existence. 1t was then,
perhaps, proper public economy and equit-
able to give these struggling manufacture
ers a bounty for a time. This was the ex-
act plea of Henry Clay for the protective
idea. Clay may be considered more than
any other one man the father of the pro-
tectiye system. Therefore let me give his
exact utterances on the subject. In the
biography Of Mr.. Clay recently published,
from the pen of Carl Schurz, | read that
| Clay, Just previous to his nomination for
he Presidency in 1914. made series Of
speeches throughout the country. OF
these utterances Mr.. SChurz writes:
"'He expressed himself sOnorously upon
I'll the old Whig principles and measures,
repeating his view of the protective tariff
as temporary arrangement which the in
FAINT industries, rapidly growing up to
manhood, would not much longer require.
The present high tariff had a plausible
and perhaps
LEGITIMATE BEGINNING.
4 direct tax was levied on manufactured
goods in the midst of the war to aid the
Treasury in ITS extreme demands. The
tariff was simultaneously raised to COM
pensate for this direct tax. After the
close Of the war, when the national finances
became easy, the direct tax was repealed,
but the manufacturing interest was fortu-
nate enough to retain the high tariff. The
vast interests thus subserved are now
active in trying to persuade the country
that the public interests will be served by
even making this duty higher. But to
create Il necessity for continuing this war
taxation they gravely propose to release the
| taxes on spirits and tobacco. 1t is difficult
| to believe that this grOteSque and ludic-
rous proposition is sincere. Powerful in
terests, however, actuated by selfshness,
are equal to any absurdity. Essays and
speeches, covering whole pages of great
newspapers, are devoted to persuading the
people that relief is to be afforded by free
whisky and tobacco. When informed that
500. COCO of national taxes should be
| reunited, we farmers thought it boon.
1t promised cheaper prices for the various
necessaries of life To our astonishment,
we are generously offered, in lieu thereof,
cheap whisky and tobacco. This ludlc-
rous proposition is founded on the new
pretens on set up by manufacturers that
high tariff is public goOd-the higher
the better-and is to he made perpetual.
You will see, fellow farmers, that this is
a new departure from
TIE TEACHINGS OF HENRY CLAY
and the early fathers. In the Chicago
Herald, of this morning, see that the
American Protective Tariff League,
which seeks to pledge 1000 men to con-
tribute 800 each annually to fund for
maintaining high tariff, has Just recruited
it's four hundredth man. How much this
fund has to DO in spreading the tallacies Of
the new tariff creed l leave each intelli-
gent farmer in the land to estimate for
| himself. 1t is certain that no such science
of public economy would originate with
the consumers of protected goods, and
especially with the farmers, who are their
largest customers. do not expect to i'm
pose my own sentiments upon Others, but
| to me the matter is so clear, and one
which 50 closely affects our agricultural
class, tnat cannot forbear expression Of
tariff taxes are real taxes, and, as q whole,
are paid ut the dearest rate. ! believe that
the manufacturers can permit large reduc-
tion in the protective features or the tariff
greatly to the advantage of consumers, and
still enjoy more prosperity than do the
| farmers. 7 believe protection is largely
used to assist the odious trusts in their
successful efforts in the direct line OF mo-
nopoly.
IL have named, too briefly for the sub
iect, some of the principal causes for the
decline Of agricultural prosperity. AS 1t Is
much easier for the physician to specify the
patients disease than to prescribe
ADEQUATE REMEDIES,
so it may be confessed that it is easier to
point out the causes of the trouble of which
| farmers complain than to indicate the
measures which will work their cure. To
some extent will give my views on what
is needed. Right here want to say frank
ly to farmers that we give too little atten-
ton 10 details in farm management, and
constantly suffer greater or less loss there
| by. When we get poor enough-and we
are rapidly getting thereto look after the
small things, our average wealth will be
largely increased. If / am right in
this observation, each farmer can ap-
ply this much of the remedy in
himself. Again, farmers must meet COM
binatiOn by combination. As We must
probably continue to sell our products
at cheap prices we must institute means
to buy what we need at cheap prices. By
combination and ceptrstion We shall
develop traders independent of the COM
binati6ns and trusts, who will become
competitors of these monopOlies of our
trsna A some of tha evil nnMers hsYe